It has been a busy year for Sentinel journalists here at our Newsroom in Hanley.

Over the course of the past 12 months reporters from this newspaper have covered thousands of stories across the region, producing six newspapers a week as well as special supplements and a constantly updated website.

We've dealt with major stories across Stoke-on-Trent, North Staffordshire and South Cheshire - many of which have broken with no prior warning.

Here we have put together some of the biggest stories from across the region in 2017.

How many of these can you remember?

1) The Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election

The year got off to an interesting start for those following local politics when, on January 13, Tristram Hunt announced he was resigning as MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central.

The Labour MP, who had been elected in 2010, resigned to take up a new role as Director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum - with the news triggering a by-election.

The nation's eyes were on the city in the weeks running up to the by-election on February 23, with a total of 10 candidates standing in the constituency.

Probably the biggest local entertainment story of the year also came in February when it was announced popular Signal One breakfast presenters Andy Cook and Louise Stones were being axed from the radio station.

Louise had worked at the station for 16 years, while Andy had joined her three years ago.

The decision was met with an outcry among some regular listeners, with hundred taking to the Sentinel's social media channels to express their dismay - and others signing a petition to have the pair reinstated.

On April 18 Prime Minister Theresa May took the country by surprise when she announced plans for a snap General Election on June 8.

The run-up to the election, which was overshadowed nationally by terrorist attacks at Manchester Arena and London Bridge, saw dozens of candidates throw their hats into the ring for the nine constituencies up for grabs in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire.

Stoke-on-Trent South, a Labour seat since the 1950s, gained its first Conservative MP in the form of Jack Brereton, who had contested the Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election for the Tories earlier in the year.

The Staffordshire Moorlands, Stafford, Stone and Congleton constituencies all retained their Conservative MPs - while Ruth Smeeth and Gareth Snell successfully held Stoke-on-Trent North and Stoke-on-Trent Central for the Labour Party.

Crewe and Nantwich saw Edward Timpson, who had held the seat for the Conservatives since 2008, lose to education campaigner Laura Smith - returning the seat to the Labour Party after nine years.

It was perhaps Newcastle Borough which proved the most controversial local seat in the election - after around 500 people were left without postal votes - while another 1,000 were left off the register despite applying before the deadline.

In the end incumbent Labour MP Paul Farrelly retained his seat by 30 votes.

It was not all good news for Labour in the Borough however as the issues surrounding the election led to the council's Labour administration being toppled by the Conservatives in December.

Paul Farrelly won the election by just 30 votes

5) Arson at Royal Stoke University Hospital

On June 7, just one day before the General Election, dozens of Sentinel readers contacted us to let us know Royal Stoke University Hospital was being evacuated due to a fire.

The hospital declared a 'major incident' due to the blaze, which an investigation later showed was arson.

Earlier this month 39-year-old Thomas Ashcroft admitted starting the fire - as well as a second one at Staffordshire University earlier that afternoon.

Mr Parson's funeral earlier in December proved to be a colourful affair when, as requested by his family, mourners attended as superheroes from the Marvel Univerise.

Police closed the A500 for most of the day following the accident (Image: Sentinel)

8) Hospital ward closures

The campaign to save local hospital beds from closure has continued apace this year - with more wards at community hospitals closing their beds.

Despite hard-fought grass roots campaigns in Leek,Cheadle and Bradwell - with one independent candidate, Nick Sheldon, running on a 'Save Leek Hospital' ticket in the Staffordshire Moorlands during the General Election - the process of shutting more than a 100 beds were axed in Leek, Bradwell and Cheadle, adding to those already closed at Longton Cottage and one ward closed at Haywood.

Councillor Pam Wood, who founded Save Leek Hospital Action Group and is a former nurse and ward manager said the “The beds and the (Moorlands) hospital are vital to the people of the Staffordshire Moorlands."

A series of accidents, some of them caused by the inclement weather - some of it forecast and some of it not - further added to disruption, as the emergency services warned people to avoid making unnecessary journeys.

With another two months of winter ahead of us it seems likely there will be more snow-based disruption for the commuters and parents of the region in the weeks to come.

The A500 during snowy conditions

All in all it has been a busy year for our reporters and, no matter what 2018 brings, we'll be ready to report on the big stories as they happen across Stoke-in-Trent and the rest of North Staffordshire and South Cheshire.